ECE Statewide impact

Deploying flexible financing, facility expertise, and strategic data.

IFF champions high-need areas by working alongside state agencies and leaders to deploy flexible financing, facility expertise, and strategic data. Working across state networks as intermediary and advocate for public and private alignment, IFF brings together providers, funders, employers, community organizations, families, philanthropies, and government all working toward the same goal. As a trusted partner and connector, IFF develops replicable financing and facilities solutions that help build early childhood education (ECE) ecosystems that increase access to high-quality learning spaces and programs. Scroll down to see examples of our work with state partners.

Child in a gray hooded jacket riding a red tricycle along a walkway.

Disaster Response

IFF and Partners Are Driving Long-Term Recovery

With demand for high-quality ECE far outpacing the available supply of early learning slots across the country, preserving existing capacity is critical. That’s why there’s been a concerted effort in St. Louis to bolster the local ECE ecosystem in the aftermath of a catastrophic tornado in May 2025 that damaged more than 40 child care facilities.

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Investing in America Child Care Partnership

Supporting Child Care as an Economic Development Imperative

In June 2024, several national foundations and nonprofit partners launched the Investing in America Child Care Partnership, an initiative to leverage public infrastructure and economic development funding alongside employer partnerships to strengthen and sustain early childhood systems at the state, county, and community levels.

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Child crawling through a wooden tunnel in a colorful indoor play area.

Caring for MI Future

$59 Million Investment in Child Care

On behalf of the State of Michigan, IFF administered the Caring for MI Future: Facilities Improvement Fund grant program to new and expanding child care providers across the state of Michigan in order to renovate, repair, and upgrade child care facilities to provide more quality care so more families have access to the child care they deserve.

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Advocacy

Child Care Innovations from the Midwest

On July 10, 2024, IFF’s executive director for the Indiana Region, Amandula Anderson, participated in a panel discussion hosted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago (Chicago Fed) that focused on child care innovations in Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Iowa.

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